September 16th Edition

The first international window of the fall is over and Canadian ballers returned to action with their clubs across the globe this week.

CanMNT are coming off a week where they showed they are still among the Concacaf elite, while Canada women’s U-20 demonstrated a lot of promise despite a knockout loss to Spain that eliminated them from the World Cup.

Plus, last week’s giveaway winners, what should Canada do with their October window, CanWNT players balling out in NWSL and more red cards for Canucks in Europe, all ahead in this week’s edition of The Northern Pitch.

In this week's edition:

• 📚 Giveaway Winners

• 🇨🇦 CanMNT Concacaf friendlies

• 🏆 U-20 CanWNT quarter-final exit

• 🤔 How should CanMNT spend their October window?

• 🌍 Canucks Abroad

• 🏡 Canucks at Home

• 📰 Other News

• ✅ Northern Picks

Giveaway

📚 Giveaway Winners

Thanks to everyone who entered our giveaway last week! The winners are…

🎉 Adriana Martinez, Keith Nixon and Ethan Farquharson 🎉

Keep an eye out for those copies in your mailbox in the coming weeks!

For those who didn’t win, make sure to pick up a copy of The Beautiful Dream at your local independent book store.

More giveaways coming soon!

CanMNT

🇨🇦 CanMNT prove they are still a giant in Concacaf

It felt like a measuring tape window for the Canadian men’s national team.

After all their success at Copa América and in the early months under Jesse Marsch, they would get the chance to prove that they were still one of the top teams in the region as they faced the top two sides in Concacaf.

After a historic victory over the United States 2-1 this past Saturday, there was decidedly a lot less to celebrate about a rather dull 0-0 draw with Mexico in Dallas on Thursday.

Instead of the high energy pressing football that Canada deployed in their big win against the United States, they came up against a Mexican team who seemed much more interested in fouling Canadian players than actually playing football. The match finished with a stunning 42 combined fouls between the two teams, or almost one every two minutes of the match. How it finished 11 vs. 11 is stunning. If you didn’t watch, you can imagine how much fun THAT was to watch.

But the fact that Mexico felt they had to play like that against a Canadian team who are now unbeaten in their last three against El Tri is telling.

Meanwhile, Niko Sigur and Stephen Afrifa both made their Canadian men’s national team debuts and both are exciting players for this group going forward.

Overall, two strong performances against the historically best teams in Concacaf surely have to give Canada confidence going into the year ahead. As they get set for the Concacaf Nations League quarter-finals in November, and ideally the Nations League final four and Gold Cup in 2025, Canada will be full of confidence that silverware in a quarter-century could await next year.

CanWNT

🏆 Canada’s U-20 show potential at World Cup despite quarter-final exit

It was a heartbreaking ending to what for a moment looked like it was going to be a stunning upset.

Facing Spain in the round of 16 of the U-20 Women’s World Cup, Canada took the lead in the 63rd minute through a goal from captain Florianne Jourde against the defending U-20 and U-17 champs — and tournament favourites.

That lead, unfortunately, only lasted two minutes before Jone Amezaga had equalized. Spain then completely flipped the match on its head when they scored again through Silvia Lloris in the 81st minute — what proved to be the match-winner.

Despite the disappointing conclusion, this performance down in Colombia is one that the program can take a lot of excitement from. After missing out on the knockout stages of this tournament for a decade, they put in some strong performances, including a draw against France, and coming close against Spain in the knockouts.

Even more exciting were the performances of a few key individuals who look like they could have a big impact on the senior national team in the future. Defenders Janet Okeke, Renee Watson, midfielder Jeneva Hernandez-Gray (who is still just 17) and attackers Olivia Smith and Amanda Allen all had strong tournaments.

For a senior team that has had some issues with goalscoring in recent years, the number of exciting attacking talents coming through the system is a really good sign. In particular, Anabelle Chukwu looks like a real star in the making after scoring four goals at this tournament to break the Canadian record for most youth national team goals — with 29.

Keep in mind, Chukwu is just 17, and will still be available for future youth national team tournaments as well so could easily add to that record. As for her and her Canada teammates, their tournament is now over, but you certainly haven’t heard the last of many of these players.

CanMNT

🤔 How should CanMNT spend their October window?

The October international window might look a little bit different for the Canadian men’s national team than any other in recent memory.

What they already have planned is pretty exciting: a home friendly against Panama, one of the top teams in the Concacaf region, at BMO Field on Tuesday, October 15. It will be the first time the team has played on home soil in nearly a year, and the first time under Jesse Marsch.

But Canada Soccer has been clear they want to schedule a second friendly, something which is proving difficult considering the rest of the world is playing some combo of World Cup qualifying and nations league. This will likely mean Canada has to get a bit creative during this window in terms of a second match.

Mexico has already announced a friendly during the October window against La Liga side Valencia for example, so perhaps Canada could follow suit.

A friendly against Toronto FC, for example, would have no shortage of storylines. From John Herdman getting to face his former team, to which players would rep Canada or their club — especially captain Jonathan Osorio. With Dronegate still lingering under the surface, it seems like this would be a bit idea for CanMNT. Perhaps CF Montreal could be a better fit?

A CPL all-star team being formed to face the national team has also been an idea long dreamed of in Internet forums — but perhaps given the fact that the CPL season concludes during the window, and playoffs start, the timing isn’t ideal.

This wouldn’t be the first time that Canada have played a club team should it happen. They took on the Fort Lauderdale Strikers of the USL back in 2014, and have played the likes of Arsenal, PSG and the New York Cosmos over the years.

Either way, this is an important October window coming up for the national team, not necessarily in terms of results or performances but the chance to reconnect with the Canadian soccer community.

Canucks Abroad

🌍 Canucks Abroad

⚽️ Janine Beckie scores a screamer. The CanWNT ballers have decided to score bangers this past weekend. Not only were they score bangers, but those goals were also the first goals for their NWSL clubs. Janine Beckie introduced herself to Louisville supporters with the game-winning goal against Angel City FC. We can keep adding superlatives and synonyms to the quality of the goal, but do yourself a favour and watch it here.

🇫🇷 Derek Cornelius picked up a red card, and Koné made his debut. A mixed week for the Canucks in Marseille. Derek Cornelius started for the Southern French club, with Ismaël Koné starting on the bench. Unfortunately for Derek, the CanMNT defender picked up a red in the 75th minute after picking up a second yellow due to “time wasting.” On the other hand, Ismaël Koné finally made his debut for Marseille after coming off the bench in the 72nd minute. At the end of the day, it was all good news as Marseille secured a 2-0 dub over a Bombito-less Nice.

🏴󠁧󠁢󠁳󠁣󠁴󠁿 Alistair Johnston is about to get a massive bag. Alistair Johnston has become a very popular figure in Glasgow. It is reported that Brendan Rodgers is ready to offer the CanMNT defender a new deal that would bump his pay, making him one of the highest-paid players in the league. AJ still has three years left in his contract and has cemented himself as a regular starter for the Bhoys in green. But why the bump when he still has three years left? We suspect bigger clubs around Europe have AJ on their radar. A pay increase would keep him in the club for a little longer unless Manchester City is ready to breach Financial Fair Play again.

🇺🇸 Jade Rose is doing bits for Harvard. It was a nutmeg, resulting in a goal from an impossible angle with an assist later on. That was Rose’s night. Harvard defeated Milwaukee 4-2, with Rose contributing to two of those goals. The first goal started with a nutmeg and then a goal from a distance. This one even made the SportsCenter Top Plays of the Week — at number 1, no less. Jade later contributed to Harvard’s fourth goal by crossing into the box. It was a good night for the Ivy League baller.

🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿 Luca Koleosho scored a screamer. The CanMNT-eligible winger scored the only goal in Burnley’s win over Leeds United. The forward ran down almost the entire length of the wing to score a Gareth Bale-like goal. Koleosho placed the ball at the far post after an impressive sprint. Let’s assume Marsch is making calls for this young man.

🏴󠁧󠁢󠁳󠁣󠁴󠁿 David Wotherspoon scored a darby insurance marker. Dunfermline Athletic hosted rivals Raith Rovers in the Scottish Championship. The CanMNT baller sealed the game in the 80th minute with a top-bins curler. Quality goal.

👑 Cloé Lacasse scored her first NWSL goal. The CanWNT forward and former Gunner scored her first goal for the Utah Royals FC. Lacasse’s goal was a banger from outside the box. Unfortunately, it was the only goal scored for her team, which went down 2-1 to the San Diego Waves.

🇦🇹 Oumar Diallo makes an Austrian Bundesliga debut. Saturday was a big day for the former Inter Milan and CanM20 youngster. Diallo made a late appearance off the bench for LASK, collecting 12 minutes at the end of a 1-0 loss at Blau Weiss Linz. Another milestone checked off for the promising forward.

🇺🇸 Isaiah Johnston’s first for Loudoun. The ex-York United and Cape Breton Capers midfielder is off the mark for his new club. Making his fourth start (and 12th appearance) since a summer switch from MLS NEXT Pro side Huntsville, Johnston finished off on this late-arriving run into the box in a 4-2 win over Birmingham.

🧢 Woobens Pacius hat-trick. It was one, two, and three for the once Forge striker in yet another productive outing for Huntsville with a trio of emphatic finishes in a 6-3 win over Atlanta 2. With Nashville’s goal-scoring struggles this season, time (and an extra international spot) will tell if Woobens gets an MLS shot… because he probably should, what with seven goals and two assists in 14 appearances.

Follow Canucks Abroad on Twitter and Instagram.

Canucks at Home

🏡 Canucks at Home

👏 Shola Jimoh for the future. At 16 years old, the youth lives a dream that many of us could only do through career mode. This is Jimoh’s first professional season at York United, and he has picked up two goals and an assist. His second goal of the season came this past weekend when he first started against Valour. Take note of his movement off the ball—one for the future.

⚜️ Montréal’s NSL club named a head coach. Robert Rositoiu has been named as MTL’s NSL gaffer. Rositoiu, originally from Romania, is considered one of the “most winningest” Ligue 1 QC coaches with AS Blainville. He has also won the inter-provincial championship in 2022, and served as a youth coach with both CF Montreal and Vancouver Whitecaps.

8️⃣ straight for Julian Altobelli. Things might just be getting too easy for the TFCII youngster. A tidy chip during the first half of a 3-0 win over NYCFC II means the 21-year-old forward has now found the net in eight straight appearances, dating back to the end of July.

Follow Canucks Abroad on Twitter and Instagram.

Other News

📰 In other news this week

✍️ Vancouver Whitecaps signed new players. The Caps have moved heavy on the transfer front. Internally, they have promoted Whitecaps FC 2 ballers Jeevan Badwal and Nicolas Fleuriau Chateau to a multi-year contract. The Whitecaps have exercised the buyout clause for LAFC’s Luis Martins. The Caps have also acquired Scottish international Stuart Armstrong as a DP after his Southampton contract came to an end. Vancouver was not messing about.

🔵 CF Montreal finally won at home. It was a night to remember for the supporters: Caden Clark scored his first goal of the season, the club’s defence looked solid without Joel Waterman and MTL legend Ignacio “Nacho” Piatti was indicted into Montreal's wall of fame at Stade Saputo. Above all, MTL won 2-1 at home against Charlotte FC. CFM have brought back calm to Stade Saputo after a turbulent few weeks. CF Montreal are now three points outside of playoff contention and six points behind TFC.

🔴 Oso with the banger! Toronto FC hosted Austin FC on a beautiful night by Lake Ontario. TFC’s goals from Kerr and Osorio came from counter-attacks, exposing Austin’s weakness of the night. Deandre Kerr performed well, as he was the focal point of almost every counterattack. Austin struggled to keep him at bay. However, Austin’s only goal came from individual brilliance from Owen Wolff. A goal that Raoul Petretta would try to forget. TFC walked out of BMO with a 2-1 win.

🌊 Once again, the Vancouver Whitecaps are playing the best footy in Canada. We are all about consistency, and the Whitecaps have not disappointed. Fafa Picault’s header had an airtime and finish that was Cristiano Ronaldo-esque. The Caps’ second goal was an intricate sequence of passing plays within San Jose’s box. Pedro Vite’s through ball to Ryan Gauld is something to admire. Notably, there was a Scottish connection between Ryan Gauld and Stuart Armstrong, with the latter scoring his first goal for Vancouver. San Jose had no answer at BC Place. The game ended 2-0 for the home side.

CPL transfer news has been active. Instead of giving a breakdown of each player, here’s a recap of the transfers from each club this past week before the roster freeze:

🔨 Forge FC: Victor Klonaridis from A.E. Kifisia, and Orlendis Benetiz from Simcoe County Rovers. Oliver Clow, Kenan Hodzic and Daniil Antonov from Sigma FC have signed CPL development contracts.

⚓️ Halifax Wanderers: Nassim Mekideche as a free agent, and David Mavakala on a CPL development contract.

🐎 Cavalry FC: Jay Herdman on loan from the Vancouver Whitecaps for the rest of the 2024 season.

🦅 Vancouver FC: Austin Ricci in, Kembo Kibato out.

👑 York United: Completing the above move, Kembo Kibato trades places with Austin Ricci.

🏟️ Stalemate at York Lions Stadium. The GTA club hosted Winnipeg club Valour FC. This was not the most exciting game. However, the biggest highlight of the game is the 16-year-old talisman Shola Jimoh scoring the first goal. Otherwise, with Shaan Hundal’s equalizer, the game ended 1-1. For Valour, this is their third consecutive draw. They are equal on points with last-placed Halifax Wanderers.

⚓️ Halifax have kept playoff hopes alive! Wanderers Grounds may not be a fortress this season, but this regularly sold-out stadium is a massive vibe. That vibe has been amplified with the season’s biggest upset: Halifax 3 - 0 Forge FC. Ottawa will be thankful to HFX for shortening the gap. For the Haligonians, this massive win means they are only three points outside of a playoff spot. It’s not over.

🔱 Dario Zanatta had a good weekend. Pacific FC hosted BC darby rivals Vancouver FC at Starlight Stadium. It was a long game for VFC as they struggled to create opportunities let alone finish the few they had. But that wasn’t a problem for the hosts’ Dario Zanatta as he scored a brace against the visitors. Despite only having 40% possession, PFC were comfortable under pressure and finished their chances. The game ended 3-0 for the home side.

🥶 Stalemate within the top four. Four different goal-scorers were on the scoresheet at ATCO Field as Cavalry answered back twice in a 2-2 draw against Ottawa. On the goal front, Ali Musse’s screamer from outside the 18 was probably the pick of the bunch… although Ruben del Campo’s cool finish was also pretty slick. Set-piece goals from Manny Aparicio and Daan Klomp would round out an entertaining afternoon.

✅ Northern Picks

This week’s picks come from Raheem Edwards (@rvheem_). He’s a professional footballer with CF Montreal.

📺 What to watch

I just got into a show called “Severance” on Apple TV. Directed by Ben Stiller, the second season comes out soon.

✅ Who to follow

Check out @_lovintage on IG. He’s based in Argentina and has hella retro authentic futbol kits.

🎧 What to listen to

Right now I’m listening to Travis Scott’s old mixtape that he just re-released on streaming platforms, Days Before Rodeo. It’s a classic mixtape and brings me back to the 2010’s — a nostalgic point in time for me!

🛍️ What to buy

Being a 90’s baby, I went out and got a Powkiddy handheld gaming device that has over 20,000 old retro games like all the Pokémon, Mario games, etc. I carry it with me on away trips to by pass time. Brings me back to the early 2000’s playing video games with my older bro!